


Her Brothers

by Emily_F6



Series: Her Brothers [1]
Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-17 12:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2309447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate version of the scene where Bella punches Jacob: Edward leaves Bella with Jacob when he goes hunting, but when her old friend forces a kiss on her, it brings back some unwanted memories, and she turns to Edward's brothers and father for help when her own father takes Jacob's side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Her Brothers

My fist connected with his jaw, but instead of the feeling of flesh giving way under my hand, I felt as though I had rammed my hand into a boulder. The pain was immediate. His eyes widened, more in surprise than in any semblance of pain, as I hopped around on the balls of my feet, desperately trying to take my mind off the agony that spread from my knuckles all the way up to my elbow. A whimper escaped when I wrapped my left hand tightly around my right, as if that could stave off the pain. "Wh…what are you doing!" He cried incredulously. "Are you okay!?" He stepped forward, arm outstretched, but I jerked away, still hopping around on the rocks and sand of the beach.

"Do I look like I'm frickin' okay!?" I snapped. "Get away from me!" He pulled away and watched in bewilderment and concern as I began to rock back and forth, eyes clenched shut, teeth grinding as I breathed through the pain. Several tense minutes of quick pained breaths and fidgeting later, I managed a deep calming breath and turned back to him with a heated look. "Take me home." I demanded, my voice a sharp whisper. Hot, angry tears built up in my eyes, making them burn, and I hoped none would escape.

"Bella…" His voice was pleading and not a little guilty. "Here…let me take a look."

"Take me home now!" I snapped, jerking away again. "And keep your hands off me!" He gritted his teeth in annoyance and crossed his arms.

"You hit me, remember!"

"Yea, after you assaulted me!" I shouted, taking another step back, hand still curled around my throbbing wrist, injured fingers half straightened uselessly.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I kissed you."

"Against my will!" I growled. "That's assault, you idiot." He snorted, rolling his eyes again. My anger began to ebb away, giving way to annoyance and the sharp pains that continued to shoot up my arm every time I moved. "Just take me home, Jacob. Please." The word tasted bitter in my mouth, and I felt the hot saltwater as is slipped from the corner of my eye and made it's way down my face. He stood silently, watching me for a moment, before reaching for me again.

"Just let me look at your hand, Bella. You might have broken it." Fighting the immediate urge to punch him again as he came too close, I turned on my heels and began to walk towards the road. "Where are you going!?" He cried, jogging to catch up with me. "You can't seriously be that angry. You are in love with me." I stiffened. "Besides, I'm sure he kisses you all the time." His voice turned mocking, and I wondered briefly what had happened to the sweet boy I'd me when I'd first moved here.

"Don't." It was all I could manage without letting any more of the tears escape. "Just...shut up, Jacob." He sighed, a longsuffering sound, and ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, then shrugged his shoulders in a resigned way.

"Come on. I'll drive you home."

We pulled up to Charlie's house and I jumped out of Jacob's truck and immediately made my way to my own, trying to remember if Carlisle would be home or at the hospital. I knew that he, Emmett, and Jasper had all stayed behind for this trip, and that Edward had somehow been roped into going with his mother and sisters. Regardless, I decided to check the house first. If he wasn't there, then maybe one of Edward's brothers would be, and I could ask them for a ride to the hospital. Using my good hand and keeping my right curled up against my chest, I pulled my keys out of my pockets and stuck one in the lock. Suddenly, a hot hand grasped my shoulder.

"Bella, wait! Where are you going?"  
"That's none of your business. Now for the last time, get off of me!" I shouted, finally losing all patience with his 'hands-on' approach to interrogating me.

"Hey now!" We both looked up as Charlie came through the front door, his eyes worried. "Jacob? What's going on?" He hadn't seen Jacob in a while and it was obvious that he was glad it was my werewolf friend and not my vampire boyfriend that was with me.

"Nothing." Jacob said easily, dropping his hand from my shoulder. "Bella just got a little upset over a misunderstanding." Charlie lifted an eyebrow and looked at me, his eyes taking in the way I cradled my right hand protectively. Jacob snorted softly. "I kissed her and she punched me in the face." He said lightly. I flinched when Charlie couldn't quite manage to hold back his chuckle.

"Wait….she broke her hand on your face?" The two men laughed softly together, and against all rationale, I felt more tears, tears of hurt, build up in my eyes. My father was laughing at me…with the guy who had assaulted me. Whirling around, I managed to unlock my door and yank it open, climbing into the cab and slamming it behind me.

"Bella!" Charlie's voice was chiding, as if I was a little kid who was being rude to their friends. I bit my lip against the wave of hurt, and started the truck.

"Oh come on Bella!" Jacob was still grinning, and I gave him the dirtiest look I could manage.

"Go to h*ll, a**hole." I snarled, doing my own impression of an angry vampire.

"Isabella Swan!" My dad's eyes were huge and furious. "You better get…" The roar of the engine drowned out the rest of Charlie's angry words as I backed out of the driveway and sped off toward the Cullen house, tears finally falling unchecked down my face.

'He laughed at me.' The thought seemed to stab me in the chest, and I bit my lip hard before I realized that I was heading to a house full of vampires and that having a mouthful of blood would probably be dangerous…for all of us. 'Some jerk hurt me...and he thought it was funny.' Swallowing painfully, I managed to push the feelings of betrayal away as I pulled off of the road and into the long winding driveway that led to the beautiful Cullen home.

I wasn't surprised to find the driveway empty. The family tended to keep their precious, ridiculously expensive toys in the garage. Killing the engine on my old truck, I carefully climbed out, wincing when I hit my arm on the way down, and shut the door behind me.

I hesitated at the front door. I had never come here alone when they were home before; either Edward or Alice was1 always with me. Looking around, as if I was committing a crime and was checking for witnesses, I slowly placed my hand on the doorknob and twisted, only vaguely surprised when the door pulled open easily. Stepping inside quickly, I shut the door behind me, wondering if anyone was inside. With their freakishly good hearing, I was surprised no one was here to greet me. "Hello?" I spoke in a normal tone of voice, absently running a hand over my eyes to dispose of the tears that had managed to escape.

"Bella?" The soft, slightly southern drawl wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I would take it. Turning to give a weak smile to Alice's mate who was standing in the doorway, I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep the pain from showing on my face. Still, I was sure he wasn't fooled.

"Hey Jasper. Is Carlisle here?" I asked, hating how weak my voice sounded.

His eyes narrowed and he came closer, although I knew he could see me perfectly. "Yes…are you okay?" His worried eyes lingered on my face. Reaching up with my left hand, I realized that my face was wet once again. Brushing the saltwater away impatiently, I watched as his eyes moved down to the hand that I held as still as possible by my chest. Confusion warred with concern as another figure appeared in the doorway.

"Bella!" Carlisle's eyes lit up in happy surprise and he moved toward us. "I didn't know you were coming over today." The tone was soft and welcoming, but the smile died on his lips as he took in the tears that fell down my face and the way I held my arm.

I opened my mouth, ready to explain, when the image of Charlie's amused face appeared in my mind. Would Carlisle be the same? Amused at my overreaction and irritated that I was bothering him. I could clearly remember Renee's annoyance when I complained about one of her many 'friends' after he had gotten a little too friendly for comfort, could remember her rolling her eyes when I whispered that the man scared me.

At first she had seemed panicked. "Did he touch you!?" She had demanded, eyes wide with worry and arms ready to give comfort. Hesitantly, I had shaken my head, immediately feeling silly and embarrassed.

"No…he…he watches me a lot." I had confessed, cheeks reddening. At thirteen, I hadn't been able to give a name to the feeling in his dark eyes as he watched me cook supper, or do the dishes, or vacuum the carpet. For weeks his eyes had followed me as I did my homework, had tracked my movements and then darted back to my mother when she entered a room. Now, thinking back, the word 'lust' came to mind, as did the word 'pedophile' along with the shudder of repressed fear. But then I had been unable to explain.

"Bella, don't be dramatic." Renee had rolled her eyes in exasperation. "He doesn't 'watch you.' You just happen to be in the same room with him." She had taken my hand then, her smile shadowed with a hint of irritation. "I know it's hard for you…me dating other men. But it's been a long time since your father and I…well it's been a long time, Bella. Don't I deserve some happiness too?" Too ashamed for words, I had only nodded. I never complained again when some of her 'friends' would stare at me, or when they would put their hands on my shoulder for a little too long. I never told her when my first kiss wasn't a boy in my class. I told myself that if it ever got farther than that, I would tell her. I had no idea if that was true….it never did.

Would Carlisle dismiss my story with the same shake of the head and sigh as Renee? "Bella?" I was jerked out of my thoughts and realized that I hadn't said anything since asking for Carlisle, and that both vampires were watching me with growing concern. Carlisle was now standing directly in front of me, his hand half outstretched as if he wanted to take my hand, but didn't want to startle me. Clearing my throat, I forced a half smile.

"I…sorry. I didn't mean to…um…" I stammered, and then managed to gather my courage as I met the doctor's gaze. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but could you look at my hand please?" His eyes, already gentle, softened even more.

"Of course. It's not a bother at all." Stepping to the side, he ushered me forward as we walked toward the kitchen. Carlisle pulled out a barstool and waited for me to climb up, the placed my arm gently on the counter. Jasper, who had followed, watched in silence as his father reached out and wrapped his large hand around my smaller wrist, his cold skin acting as an ice pack. I subconsciously relaxed a bit and sighed in relief, then tensed when the doctor began to gently prod my hand. I watched as Jasper walked over to the cabinet at human speed, reaching up and pulling out a glass, then filling it with ice and water from the refrigerator, trying to take my mind off the pain in my hand and wrist. He placed the glass in front of me, and then walked around to sit beside me.

"Thank you." I said quietly, taking a long sip, the cold water soothing my throat, which was already sore from crying. He nodded, his eyes still full of concern.

"It seems like it is a pretty bad sprain. I'm going to go get a bandage and some pain medicine for you." He hesitated for a moment, his eyes meeting mine. "If you'd like to stay here tonight, you're more than welcome, but if not, myself, Jasper or Emmett can drive you home. The pain medication might make you drowsy, so I'd rather you didn't' drive tonight."

Remembering Charlie's furious face as I sped away from the house, I flinched a bit, missing the look of concern that passed between the doctor and his son. "Would it be okay if I stayed here?" I mumbled. The thought of facing Charlie after his reaction earlier wasn't something I wanted to even consider. "I don't want to go home tonight."

"Of course." This time, I caught the look they were giving one another. "Bella…" Carlisle reached across the counter and took my good hand, his face now level with mine. I could feel waves of gentle calm roll over me and felt Jasper move a little closer, his shoulders shifting closer to mine, eyes anxious but determined. "Did…did Charlie do this to you?" Carlisle finally asked softly. He must have mistaken my stunned silence for reluctance, because he sighed and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Because if he did, you can talk to us. Any of us. We'll protect you." The soft words, words I had so desperately wished to hear from my own father, now spoken by my boyfriend's father, brought more tears to my eyes, much to my embarrassment. "Bella?"

I cleared my throat anxiously, pushing my embarrassment aside. "No. It wasn't him. It wasn't Char…my dad." Carlisle watched me for another long moment, his eyes sad, then sighed in resignation.

"Okay." He stood, stood and released my hand after a final squeeze. "I'm going to go get some supplies from my office." He gave Jasper a brief look full of something I couldn't quite understand, and then disappeared down the hall and up the stairs. Taking advantage of his absence, I ran my hand over my eyes again and was frustrated when it came away wet. I could feel Jasper's eyes on me, but refused to look over at him, instead focusing on my water, and before I knew it, Carlisle was back in the room, placing a bottle of pills and a bandage on the table.

I heard a door slam as Carlisle's gentle hands lifted my arm and supported my hand. Jasper and Carlisle glanced up as the largest member of the Cullen family strolled through the kitchen door, smudges of grease on his face and shirt. "Hey Bells!" He grinned at me, completely unsurprised, as if I appeared at regular intervals in his kitchen to have his father patch me up…which I guess I kind of did. I was unable to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up in greeting; despite the pain Carlisle was unintentionally causing me. He watched as Carlisle began to wind the bandage over my hand snugly, and then turned his eyes to my face. For a split second, I thought I saw concern there, but before I could really take any notice, he snorted.

"What, did you try to walk and chew gum at the same time again Bella?" He chuckled at his own joke, and I had to grin at his good-natured teasing.

"Nope. I punched a werewolf in the face." He leaned over the counter beside his father and gave me a fond grin.

"Bada**!" He declared proudly, ignoring his father's halfhearted reproachful glare. Still…I could see it under the impressed smile. His eyes gave it away, as easy as if I could read his mind. He was concerned. Would he still be concerned if he knew it was all over a silly kiss? Part of me couldn't help but cringe. If he noticed, he didn't comment. Still, if he knew, he would no doubt tease me, right?

Jasper's dry voice broke through my thoughts. "Why did you feel the need to punch a werewolf?" He was grinning lazily, but the concern wasn't gone from his eyes. Carlisle finished securing the bandage around my hand and leaned back, apparently waiting for an answer as well.

Shame pooled suddenly in my stomach. What would they think if they knew that I had kissed someone other than Edward? Would they make me leave? Surely they wouldn't want some girl who went around behind her boyfriend's back to be with him. Would Carlisle tell Edward that I was cheating on him? Would Emmett advise his big brother to leave me again? With that thought came the almost familiar all-encompassing pain that threatened to rip through my stomach.

As soon as it had appeared, the pain disappeared without a trace. I glanced up at Jasper appreciatively. He nodded, acknowledging my thanks, but the lazy grin was gone and was replaced with surprise. I wondered briefly if he had been able to feel the pain along with me. Pushing the thought away, I looked down at the counter, admiring the marble surface. "He kissed me." I said softly.

Dead silence. I didn't even have to look up to see that all three of them had frozen in place. Finally, Emmett spoke up. "Which. One." He snarled, his hands gripping the counter. I glanced up, but didn't meet anyone's eyes.

"What?"

"Which one of those dogs did this to you?" I half expected Carlisle to jump in and reprimand him, but the doctor was staring that the counter in a display of forced calm.

"Emmett…" I started, my voice soothing, but was cut off when he slammed a fist on the counter, the bang echoing around the room.

"It was Jacob, right?" He leaned toward me. "He's the one Edward left you with today!" He mumbled something I couldn't quite catch, but I was sure it had something to do with 'filthy animals' before turning for the door.

Carlisle seemed to snap out of his stupor and reached out for his son. "Emmett! Where are you going?" His voice was only half reprimanding.

"Wolf hunting." The giant vampire gave a feral grin, which made me shudder involuntarily. Of course I wasn't afraid of Edward's bear of a brother, but the thought of him facing down a werewolf alone…especially a werewolf I knew…well neither likely outcome made me feel any better.

"You can't Emmett!" I warned him. "He's probably still at my house."

"Your house?" Jasper looked surprised. "This happened at your house?"

"No…on the reservation." I clarified. Carlisle looked confused, but before he could speak up, Jasper grinned.

"Just go tell her dad then, Emmett. He'll take care of the wolf for you." Emmett muttered something about killing pests by himself, but seemed to be thinking it over.

"He already knows." They all looked at me in shock. "Jacob told him what happened."

"So he's already dead?" Emmett seemed hopeful, but I shook my head, wincing again at the memory.

"No he uh…." I swallowed hard against the ache in my throat and forced a weak smile. "He laughed." I pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth, a trick I had learned to stop tears, but they still filled my eyes. "He thought it was funny."

"Funny?"

Carlisle was not scary. Not to me. At some point or another since meeting the family, I had felt faint stirrings of fear, perhaps my common sense finally popping up, around almost every Cullen, even if I knew that none of them would ever wish me harm. Edward's display of brute strength and his demonstration of how deadly he really was on the day I revealed my knowledge to him…that had been a little scary. The fear had come back in a tiny degree when the beautiful but deadly Rosalie had crushed the glass bowl between her hands when Edward had invited me over to meet his family. Although I knew Jasper would never hurt me intentionally, his face when he had lunged at me on my eighteenth birthday had been terrifying. In fact, I had been frightened by Jasper more times than anyone else, although I would never tell him that for fear of hurting Edward's kind brother.

Emmett was another story. He was loud and large and I tended to think of him as an overstuffed teddy bear, since he was consistently careful with how he treated me, obviously aware of how much he could hurt me if he wasn't. I knew for a fact that he wouldn't hurt me. But there was a day, the summer after meeting Edward that we had spent the day at the house. Carlisle and Esme were…elsewhere in the house, something I didn't question or think too hard about, and Emmett had joined us in the living room as we watched a movie. The brothers had been arguing about something that had happened earlier, and seemed more irritated with one another than I had ever seen them. Finally, a snide remark by Edward broke his patience, and the giant had lunged at the sofa where we sat with a growl, knocking over the sofa and tackling him to the carpet. The scream that tore from my throat as I hit the ground had frozen him in place, and he had barely landed on top of his brother before the giant was helping me off the floor and apologizing profusely, anxiously checking me for injuries as Esme and Carlisle raced into the room and scolded their sons for their carelessness.

Esme later assured me that the two of them fought like this often, and neither was ever really in danger. The few times it had ever escalated to a truly dangerous fight, Carlisle or Jasper had stepped in quickly and broken it up. That day was also the day I was afraid of Esme. Apparently she had loved that sofa, and Emmett spent the next week combing the area for an exact replica of her crushed piece of furniture and begging her pardon. Tiny Alice had teased him mercilessly, but decided to help him in the end. I never had anything to fear from her, although I was sure she was a fierce fighter if it ever came down to it.

But Carlisle was, in my mind, pretty much human. Blood apparently had no effect on him, which was a good thing, since I somehow spilled blood constantly while living in Forks. He was a doctor, and a good one, always able to help me relax when I needed stitches or shots or some other preventative measure to keep me from bleeding to death or losing a limb. He loved his children, adored his wife, and even got along well with the humans who lived in town. He kept rowdy Emmett, moody Edward, and quiet but unpredictable Jasper in line with patience and care, and would obviously forgive his daughters anything, a courtesy he seemed to be extending to me more and more often, never scolding me for silly mistakes or accidents even if I felt I deserved it. In my eyes, he was a near perfect father, and although he wasn't actually my father, I was never afraid of him. A few times, I had even compared him to Charlie, something I was ashamed for, but unable to help when I considered my absent, standoffish father.

Now, as I looked up into his fierce eyes, I could fully appreciate his role as the head and protector of a family of vampires. His eyes darkened as he spat out the offensive word, as if 'funny' was a curse, something I never heard Carlisle do. His lips pulled back slightly as he watched me, and I felt the hair on my neck stand up as I caught sight of his gleaming white teeth. I fought to breathe normally as I nodded, wide eyed. Glancing over, I saw that Jasper and Emmett were handling this news no better.

"Yes." I half choked out. "Jacob told him it was a misunderstanding. Char…my dad thought I was overreacting when I hit him." I admitted.

"And was it?" Carlisle actually snarled, his eyes darkening once again. "A misunderstanding?" He spat.

"I…I didn't…" He seemed to realize my discomfort and he visibly relaxed, his eyes softening a bit as he sighed. Leaning over the counter, he met my eyes and took my hand.

"Did you want him to kiss you?" I shook my head, a tear slipping past my defenses, and this time I didn't bother wiping it away. Emmett growled softly but my eyes were on Carlisle's. "Did you try to make him stop?"

"I…." I winced when my voice cracked. "I couldn't!" I pleaded with my eyes, praying he would understand. "He was too strong. I couldn't make him stop…I…" I clenched his hand. "I just had to let him…" Dropping my head, I chocked out a sob, my cheeks blazing in shame. "I couldn't stop him." I heard a snarl, but wasn't sure if it was coming from Emmett or Jasper, and the hand I was clutching pulled away gently. Covering my eyes with my hand, I stiffened slightly when strong arms suddenly pulled me close to a hard chest.

"Shh." Carlisle's soft voice came from above my head, which was tucked under his chin. "It's okay." He assured me, an arm rubbing up and down by back, and I realized he was sitting on my other side, while Emmett and Jasper stood stock still.

"I'll kill him." That was definitely Emmett, and I shook my head.

"Leave him alone, Emmett." I whispered, sure that he could hear me.

"Leave him alone!" This time he was shouting at me. "Are you serious!? He assaulted you! He could have…" Emmett broke off, chocking on his words, and I turned back to him.

"He just kissed me." I didn't mention how he'd gripped the back of my hair, forcing my lips against his, or how he'd probably left a bruise where his other hand had roughly held the small of my back so I'd be pressed against him.

"And what if he wanted to do more!" Jasper's jaw tightened when Emmett's fist slammed against the counter once again, this time leaving a crack. "What could you have done? Would Charlie have thought it was funny then!?" I flinched, closing my eyes against the pain that question caused and leaning my head against Carlisle's chest once again, hiding from Emmett's temper. Carlisle's arms tightened around me, and I felt him growl at his son, a first for me. Apparently it was new for Emmett too, and I immediately felt a large hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, dad." He muttered, and then I felt his hand squeeze gently. "I didn't mean that, Bella." He told me quietly, his voice remorseful.

I glanced up at him, and he wiped my eyes with his thumb, a gesture that reminded me of Edward. "Hey, don't cry, Bells." He managed a grin. "You sure you don't want me to kill him? I will." He offered eagerly. I gave a watery sniff and shook my head seriously, remembering how the wolves had taken down Laurent.

"I don't want you getting hurt." He looked at me in surprise for a second, then threw his head back and roared a laugh, making me jump in shock. Jasper joined him after a second, and even Carlisle's body shook with chuckles.

"Bella, I think I can take an overgrown mutt. Besides, I'm sure Jasper would help me out." Jasper grinned and nodded. "And Edward would be more than interested in coming along."

"But the treaty…" Emmitt rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Oh yea…" Carlisle released me, gently placing me back on my own seat, and turned to his sons.  
"She's right. Emmett, Jasper, leave the wolves alone." His voice was a little regretful, and I wondered if he wanted to hurt Jacob as well. A part of me was embarrassed about their reactions. After all, I was pretty confident that Jacob wouldn't actually hurt me, and besides, it was just a kiss. But I couldn't help but be pleased by their protectiveness, something I'd never really had with either of my parents.

Suddenly all three vampires stiffened, sniffing the air subtly, and Jasper and Emmett turned to glare at the door. "That dog has a lot of nerve." Jasper muttered, clenching his fists. Emmett made for the door, but his father quickly restrained him.

"He's not alone." I glanced out the kitchen window and caught sight of a police cruiser, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Charlie had never come to the Cullen's home before. Pulling out my cellphone in confusion, I realized that the little device was dead, and wondered how many times he had tried to call. Charlie jumped out of his car, followed closely by Jacob, and I felt a wave of overwhelming dread. Carlisle, however, stood smoothly.

"I almost forgot…your hand must still be hurting." He said apologetically, handing me two little pills from the bottle he had placed on the counter earlier. I had almost forgotten about my hand, but swallowed them without comment, chasing them down with the now lukewarm water, and thanked him when he took my glass and placed it in the sink. "I assume that you don't want to speak to your father tonight?"

"Do I have to?" He placed a hand on my shoulder and shook his head solemnly.

"Of course not. Why don't you wait in Edward's room? I'll speak with your father."

"Thank you." My voice was subdued, exhausted from all the crying and pain, and I gave Jasper an appreciative glance when he placed his arm around me and led me up the stairs, Emmett on our heels. The large bed in Edward's room, still new and neatly made, called to me, and I sat down gratefully, resting my head against the wall.

"Are you sleepy?" Emmett asked, using the same curious tone he used to ask if I was hungry of if I needed to use the bathroom (to be fair, he only did that once before Alice took him aside and explained why not to ask that).

"No…just tired." He nodded as if he understood, but I had to wonder if they remembered how it felt to be tired, or sleepy for that matter.

"Okay. When your dad and his pet leave, you wanna watch a movie or something?" I smirked at the 'pet' part, more grateful than I could say for Edward's brothers, and nodded. Downstairs I could hear muted voices, but for a human like me, the house was pretty soundproof. I wondered what Carlisle talking to Charlie about…. what excuse he was giving. Every once in a while, either Jasper, who leaned against the wall by the door, or Emmett, who sat on the bed beside me, would smirk or glare at the floor, as if they were privy to the conversation, which I guess they were. Still, I didn't ask for details, secure in my belief that I would be left alone tonight.

Well, I was secure before Emmett leapt to his feet and Jasper whirled toward the door, both in defensive positions, deep growls coming from their chests. I heard a door open, and Emmett yanked Edward's door open. "Out of my room, dog." He snarled softly, obviously not wanted to alert Charlie to his nickname for Jacob, or, more importantly, the reasons behind it. "And out of our house, while you're at it."

"I just want to talk to Bella." His voice was soft as well, but determined and too cocky for an apology. He appeared in the doorway, shirtless, and I had to wonder if he did own a shirt.

"No. Get out." Jasper snapped.

"You are very lucky she didn't want me to kill you." Emmett bared his teeth. "So get out before I do it anyway, screw the treaty."

"I just want to talk to her!" His voice rose in volume, his hands clenched into shaking fists.

"Jacob." I stood slowly, stepping between the two brothers and facing my old friend. "Just go away." He glanced down at my hand, wrapped in a bandage, and winced.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea. Now leave."

"You heard her. Leave." I could see that Jasper was just barely hanging on to his control, so I stepped forward, slightly in front of the unpredictable vampire.

"I don't want to talk to you, okay? I've said everything I want to say. So just go away before one of them snaps and kills you." He gave me a long look, and then glared at me, taking half a step forward.

Before he could speak or move any further into the room, Emmett and Jasper were on either side of him, each taking an arm in their iron grips as if they had synchronized their movements beforehand. "Come on, Jaz. Time to let the dog out." Emmett grinned over the struggling boy's head and the two dragged him toward the staircase.

"Let me go, you overgrown idiot!" I rolled my eyes and leaned against the doorjamb, watching in touched amusement as they began their descent down the stairs, the reluctant werewolf unable to break free despite his struggles. "What are you, her freakin' bodyguards!?"

"Naw. We're her brothers."


	2. Her Family

Jasper and Emmett grinned at each other as they pulled the dog down the stairs, not bothering to lift him so that his legs wouldn't bang uselessly against the stairs. Carlisle glanced up from his chat with Charlie and seemed torn between amusement and irritation. There were sure he had noticed the boy trying to sneak upstairs, but there wasn't much he could do while he was preoccupied with the sheriff. Luckily, the shorter man didn't notice Carlisle's two sons drag Jacob out the front door.

Jacob continued to thrash, but Emmett had placed a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't alert Charlie to their manhandling of him, and he hadn't let go yet. As they passed through the front door and he was dragged across the porch and down onto the grass, he opened his mouth, teeth bared against Emmett's hand. "I wouldn't. We bite back." Emmett grinned at him, his eyes dancing with mischief and impossibly white teeth glinting. Jasper chuckled as the blood drained from Jacob's face. "Actually, go ahead. I'm getting kind of…thirsty." His smile turned menacing and Jasper moved closer, baring his own teeth as he released the wolf abruptly, allowing Emmett to grasp both of Jacob's arms.

"Now…we'd better never catch you on our property again." Jasper's voice was suddenly serious, his southern drawl harsh, all traces of amusement gone. "And if you touch our sister again, you'll have us to answer to. Understand?" Jacob struggled against Emmett but without his wolf strength, it was pointless. Reluctantly, he nodded, knowing that transforming into a wolf right now might cause Charlie to ask some questions, and that would infuriate Sam to no end. "Alright. I think he gets it. Good dog." Emmett grinned and rubbed his head like he would a pet, then released the wolf, immediately stepping back.

"Oh. One more thing, Jacob." Jacob turned to the larger of the two vampires, ready to agree to pretty much anything when he was so outmatched, but found himself flat out on the ground, his whole face in excruciating pain. "Since she couldn't do it herself." Emmett cracked his knuckles gleefully as Jacob groaned, rubbing his jaw and trying not to move his head. Jasper snorted, shaking his head.

"Get off our land, dog, before we call the pound." With that, they headed back inside, shutting the door softly. By the look on Carlisle's face, he had heard everything. Luckily for them, he didn't seem angry, sending them an amused look as he escorted Charlie out the door. The boys nodded innocently to the police chief and headed back upstairs to keep their sister company.

Carlisle sat in his chair, a medical journal open on his lap, only half listening to the movie his sons had picked out. Glancing up, he smiled a little in pride and contentment. Jasper sat on the far end of the sofa, a half smile on his face as he watched the action sequence on the television. His hand was on Bella's shoulder, who was lying sideways on the couch, her head on a pillow on his lap and her feet against Emmett's leg. A thick quilt had been pulled across her shoulders and bunched up around Emmett's lap, and his large son absentmindedly rested a hand on her leg. All three glanced at her occasionally, as if their eyes were drawn to her.

Carlisle held no illusions about his children. Neither Emmett nor Jasper had expressed any desire to protect Bella when Edward had first expressed an interest in the girl. In fact, Jasper had, more than once made it clear that he thought she was a liability. Carlisle had not doubted that Jasper would kill her if he found it necessary, and, further more, that he would enjoy it. Emmett, on the other hand, had tried to have sympathy for his brother, but had encouraged Edward to just kill her when the thirst seemed like it was too much.

Now they were sitting on either end of a couch, the same human girl lying between them, completely at ease. It would have been incredibly easy for Jasper to give in to the thirst Carlisle was sure he was feeling and just kill her; he wasn't sure that he could stop him when Jasper was so close. But the fondness in Jasper's eyes, the same fondness he held for Esme and even Rosalie, told Carlisle that Bella was completely safe.

As for Emmett, he had taken to Bella almost instantly. Carlisle had seen it in his amused smile when Bella had stumbled through the front door and into the kitchen with Edward, when she'd apologized for already eating. He had seen it again when she complimented their home, gazing up at them shyly with friendly eyes. Then, when they'd played baseball, he'd caught Emmett's frequent amused glances at Bella's awed face or clumsy attempts to fairly referee a game between her vampire boyfriend's family, even in the face of Rosalie's anger.

From then on, Emmett had been Bella's advocate. Carlisle had overheard several instances of Emmett complaining about someone named 'Mike' from their school, and something about a 'little b*tch' named Lauren. Apparently Bella held the interest of several of the boys at their school, something that was a mild annoyance for Edward, but that ignited Emmett's protective temper. Carlisle had even walked in on an argument between him and Rosalie.

"Why does it even matter, Emmett!" The blonde had snapped, irritation evident in her eyes as she sat on the sofa, watching Emmett play a video game.

"You ought to see the way they look at her, Rose! Like she's…a piece of meat." He'd shaken his head, oblivious to his mate's anger.

"Well isn't she?" Emmett had clenched his jaw and swallowed hard, obviously biting back several remarks.

"No. She isn't." He'd snapped. "She's Edward's mate and a part of our family."

This hadn't won Bella any points in Rosalie's book, but Carlisle was glad that Emmett felt the same way as himself and Esme. His wife had taken to Bella instantly, especially considering the change the human girl brought about in her son. He smiled softly, but his thoughts suddenly turned to Charlie. He sighed, disappointed that he was still angry with the man who obviously had very little experience in parenting. Carlisle thought back to Bella's attitude and wondered if her mother had been any better. The girl was obviously accustomed to taking care of other people, and he'd been surprised when, after being badly inured by a bloodthirsty vampire and laid up in a hospital, she had been the one comforting her distraught mother. He had been making his rounds, and was about to go into Bella's room to check on her, when he'd heard the girl asking her mom if she'd paid all of her bills for the month.

He'd winced at the question, the uncomfortable and unnatural relationship tugging at his heart (metaphorically speaking, of course). And, like an exasperated teenager, Renee had laughed and rolled her eyes, and assured her young daughter that Phil was taking care of the finances, and that they were 'fine.' 'Fine' was a favorite among Bella's family, apparently. But if Bella's relationship with Renee was a reversal of the parent/child relationship, Carlisle had to wonder what he should call the relationship between Bella and her father.

Charlie had banged on his front door, shouting for his daughter, something that made Carlisle pause and clench his teeth. Knowing that he would be truly angry if the man kicked his front door in (he'd certainly have to replace it), he had opened the door with the most pleasant smile he had been able to manage. "Chief Swan." He'd greeted courteously. "Please come in." He'd extended no such courtesy to the young werewolf who held back, leaning against the porch railing. He hated to admit that shutting the door in Jacob's face was a little gratifying.

"Where is she, Carlisle?" His eyes had been angry, and Carlisle was glad that Bella had confirmed that it hadn't been her father that had hurt her, at least not physically, or he might have acted rashly when the man snapped at him.

"Bella is upstairs. I believe she's resting. She'll be staying here tonight. Can I get you something to drink before you go?" He asked smoothly, half smiling at the fact that his kitchen was now full of juice and soda and bottled water, snacks, raw ingredients…all for the little human girl that was waiting upstairs. Esme loved cooking, and he had to admit that he enjoyed it as well, despite how unappetizing the food smelled. Still, seeing Bella's face light up in embarrassed gratitude was always reward enough.

"What do you mean, staying here?" Charlie had snapped. "You expect me to allow my daughter to have a sleepover with her boyfriend!?"

"Edward isn't here. He's camping with my wife and the girls." He spoke simply, pushing his irritation away. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Jacob sneak in through the front door and up the stairs. Rolling his eyes, he hoped that Jasper and Emmett wouldn't kill the wolf in his house. That treaty prevented a lot of unnecessary bloodshed.

"So, you expect me to allow my little girl to have a sleepover with you! And those boys of yours! You think that's decent?"

Fury had risen in Carlisle's chest, and he had allowed himself a very brief daydream about giving the man a broken jaw. 'Nothing serious.' He told himself indulgently. 'Just so he has a little trouble speaking for a while.' "What, exactly, are you insinuating Charlie?" He had asked quietly, his voice dangerous. Glancing up, he noticed Emmett and Jasper dragging Jacob down the stairs and out the door, and was almost distracted when he heard Charlie's next statement.

"Listen, Doctor Cullen, I don't know what you let those kids of yours get up to, but my daughter…"

Carlisle's voice was cold. "Your daughter had been assaulted!" He snarled, taking a threatening step forward. "Assaulted by someone she trusted…"

"He kissed her! It was a misunderstanding!" Charlie had clenched his fists, his eyes incredulous as he leaned closer to the vampire doctor. "Why is it such a big deal? The boy likes her. She's…"

"She's in a relationship with my son!" Carlisle had finally roared. "She's happy with him, and he loves her. And that…boy….he forced himself on her." His mind flashed back to Rosalie, broken and bleeding in the alleyway so long ago, and his fury increased. "And what if he'd wanted to do more, Charlie? Would it have been funny if she'd come home crying because he raped her? Would you and that wol…boy have shared a good laugh over that one!" Charlie was aghast, his face nearly purple with fury as Carlisle berated himself for that almost slip.

"How dare you…."

Immediately he had been focused on the conversation again. "How dare you!? How dare you come into my home and insult me, suggest that I would do anything other than protect Bella, suggest that my sons would hurt her? You have no idea what we would do for her, what we have already done!" His thoughts flashed to Jasper's face as he tried so hard to resist hurting her, to Alice who had been so excited to meet the girl who would be her best friend. The time, the resources they had happily poured into making Bella as comfortable as possible with them. The fight with James. "Bella is a part of our family, Charlie. We will protect her. She is eighteen years old, a legal adult, and she is welcome to stay here as long as she likes, with or without your blessing. We have plenty of room." He paused, forcibly taking a calming breath. "I will do anything to keep her safe, Charlie, and if that means keeping you, Jacob, the entire town of Forks, away from her, that is what I will do. Gladly."

Charlie shook his head in frustration. "The Blacks are old family friends…it was just a kiss…" He mumbled.

"We don't take sexual assault lightly in this family, Charlie Swan. If someone hurts my family, anyone in my family, I take it personally. She did not want Jacob to kiss her. She loves Edward. Jacob knew all this and he kissed her anyway, knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop him. That's enough for me."

It hadn't taken much to persuade Charlie to leave after that, and the man had only paused briefly to help Jacob up off the ground on his way to his car before turning back. "Will…will you have her call me? Tomorrow? I just…wanna know if she's going to come home…"

"Of course." Carlisle's eyes had softened fractionally. "We will inform you if she decides to stay here." Carlisle felt pity for Charlie Swan as the man had driven away. The quiet man truly had no idea what he was doing when it came to this side of parenting.

Carlisle was pulled from his thoughts once again when Bella's breathing sped up and she whimpered in her sleep. Surprised, he turned to her, as did Emmett and Jasper. "Please." She mumbled, her face scrunched in fear. "Please, don't." Emmett's eyes widened, then narrowed, a growl rumbling in his chest. He thought she was dreaming about Jacob, Carlisle realized. "No!" She twisted in her sleep, Jasper's quick reflexes the only thing keeping her from falling off the couch. "Mommy!" The sudden scream, a terrible horrified sound, ripped through his soul, causing him physical pain.

'But why would she call for her mother?' He wondered silently as she continued to mumble. Standing, he made his way over to the couch as Jasper and Emmett watched her helplessly.

"Mommy! Make him stop! Please! No, stop!" She was thrashing in earnest now, screaming in an impossibly young voice, and Jasper moved quickly, pulling her up against his chest. Emmett caught her arms, being careful of her right hand, and Carlisle moved to hold her head, knowing that she would be hurt if she rammed her head into any of them.

"Bella!" Jasper spoke urgently in her ear. "Bella stop!" Her entire body stiffened against him, and her breathing slowed.

"Jasper." She mumbled, confusion in her voice, and the vampire's eyes widened in surprise. Although she was still unconscious, she began to stir, her lips turned down in confusion. Suddenly she gasped and jerked awake.

I was in my bedroom. The off-white walls were covered in family photos, a few generic paintings, and a mirror with more photos lodged in the frame. My mother was going through a photography phase, and was so excited when I hung her 'masterpieces' on the wall that I was happy to do it. I was lying on the bed, legs crossed at the ankles, and my right arm was getting tired from holding the paperback in the air above my face, sending waves of pain through my arm that I didn't quite understand. But something else was wrong…staring at my book, I realized that I couldn't make out the words on the page. Sitting up, I suddenly forgot about the book, which seemed to disappear, and focused on the man standing in my doorway. "Renee's not here." I told him, a flare of panic rising in my stomach.

His name was Jeremy. Renee called him 'Jer' sometimes. He asked me to call him J, even when I never did. He came closer, his eyes friendly. "Hello Bella." It didn't make sense that he would look at me like that. He looked at Renee like that sometimes, tender and something else. But when the look was directed at me, it made me sick. The next thing I knew, I could feel his hand on the back of my neck and his lips were pressing against me. And he asked something about kissing, but I didn't listen because I was screaming and pleading. Then his hand was on my chest and I did cry, and he told me not to be a baby, that this was what girls my age were supposed to do. And I was so ashamed, and I wanted my mom, but the thought of her catching us like this made me sick. So why was I screaming for her?

"Mommy! Please!" My throat was raw and his hands were impossibly strong as they restrained me, but I kept screaming until my voice was nothing more than a weak rasp. "Please! Mommy! Make him stop, please!" Tears streamed down my face and I was fighting for all I was worth. "No! Stop! Get off!"

"Bella!" My scream abruptly broke off. That wasn't Jeremy's voice. This man sounded younger. A name was suddenly in my mind.

"Jasper?" I whimpered. But who was Jasper? Something was wrong…it didn't fit. I realized that there were two hands on my arms holding me down, and two more on my head, but all were icy cold, and Jeremy was gone. My hand throbbed and I wondered if I had hurt it. As soon as that thought passed through my mind, images flashed through my mind. Jacob. The beach. My hand. Charlie. Jasper and Carlisle, then Emmett. My family. Gasping, I forced my eyes open, panting heavily and shaking. Drops of sweat left wet trails down the side of my face, and mixed with tears I hadn't known I was shedding. Two pairs of golden eyes were staring down at me in anxious concern, and it took me a minute to identify Carlisle, who was standing and holding my head, Emmett, who was sitting next to me and holding my arms. The cool surface I was leaning against was Jasper, whose gentle hands were wrapped around me. We were all in the sitting room, the TV on but too low for me to hear.

"What?" The sharp pain in my throat made speaking impossible, but they all seemed to understand the weak rasp.

"You fell asleep. We were watching a movie." Emmett had released my arms in favor for resting one hand on my knee. Forcing my foggy memory to clear, I realized that we had all sat on the sofa together, Jasper on one side of me and Emmett on the other. Little, useless details came back to me. Jasper had covered me with a blanket. Carlisle was reading a medical journal, barely paying attention to the movie. I had curled my feet under the blanket because Emmett kept running a finger down the bottom of them, making me shriek and kick him, which did no good but made the others laugh. Jasper had put his arm around me as I started to fall asleep, manipulating my mood until I allowed myself to nod off.

Suddenly, for the second time that day, a glace of ice water was offered to me. I had hardly noticed Carlisle leaving, but was thankful nonetheless. He waved off my attempt at thanking him and knelt in front of the couch, his eyes concerned. I drank deeply, the cool water soothing my throat, and then placed the now empty glass in Carlisle's waiting hand. "Better." I nodded.

Realizing that all of their eyes were glued to me, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and briefly wondered if that would make things harder for Jasper. Slipping out of his embrace, I stared at the floor. "Sorry." I mumbled, electing to stare at the carpet rather than explain myself to them. Carlisle shook his head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He said simply, standing from his crouched position. "Do you want to go to bed?" I shook my head, not willing to go back to that land of terrible nightmares and memories.

"We haven't even finished the movie yet!" The whine in Emmett's voice made me smile, even if I knew he was acting for my benefit. A soothing warmth suddenly enveloped me and I shot Jasper the best irritated look I could mange. He grinned apologetically and the warmth was drawn back until the atmosphere was back to normally pleasant. Turning back to the TV, he turned it up and sat back against the sofa. Realizing that no one was going to interrogate me, I tentatively scooted next to him, resting against his shoulder. He smiled slightly, lifting his arm and wrapping it around me easily. Emmett went back to tickling my feet, and Carlisle went back to his medical journal. But everyone was glancing at me more often, and I wondered how long it would be before I had to explain the nightmares to someone.

I managed to watch the rest of the movie, suddenly wide awake. It was nearly eleven when Emmett switched the TV to a video game system and Jasper and Emmett started going at it, shouting edited insults at each other until Carlisle, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation, stood and went upstairs. An hour later, I made up my mind and followed.

The door to his office was partially open, and he invited me in before I had even knocked. He sat at his desk, smiling up at me in welcome, and then turning somber when he caught the expression on my face. "Is this about the nightmare?" He asked softly when I sat down, my face flushed. I nodded once. He sighed. "It wasn't about Jacob." That wasn't a question, but I nodded again to tell him he was right. He waited patiently as I took a deep breath. It wasn't just that he'd already guessed part of it, or that he'd probably ask me eventually.

Carlisle was my father. I saw it now as clearly as if I'd always known. And not in the 'future father-in-law' way or the 'head of my boyfriend's family' way. Carlisle was my father. I wanted to tell him about the terrible man who'd hurt me, wanted him to tell me that it was okay and that it wasn't my fault. Because I could never tell Charlie, who loved me but didn't know how to deal with me. Or Renee, who I had to protect from the terrible realities of life. I suddenly wished for Esme, and realized that she was my mother, just as Carlisle was my father, just as Emmett and Jasper were the big brothers I adored, and Alice and Rosalie were the big sisters I looked up to, and Edward was my love. And I knew that Edward would come home and I would have to explain this to him, since he would inevitably see it in Carlisle's thoughts, and maybe Charlie would find out one day. But I was done keeping the secrets of Jeremy, of Mark, of every one of Renee's boyfriends that had hurt me.

I stared at the desk as I began to speak. "Renee had…a lot of boyfriends when I was growing up. When I was thirteen, she was dating a man named Jeremy."


	3. Her Love

Carlisle's chest rose in fell in exaggerated calm, his sweet scent, so like Edward's, wrapped around my body along with his arms. I tried to remember the last time anyone but Edward had held me like this, and failed. Of course I would get half-hugs from my father, and my mother would hug me sometimes when she was really happy or gushing about something…or she would before Phil became such a huge part of her life. The Cullens were a different story though. Esme hugged me every time I saw her. Alice, too, seemed to enjoy physical contact, often greeting me or trying to comfort me by throwing her arms around me. Even Emmett would sometimes grab me in an exuberant but gentle hug, spinning me around the room until I was laughing too hard to breathe. But this was something entirely different.

I'd stared at the desk throughout my story, eyes dry and tone matter-of-fact. I'd actually been quite proud of myself for not breaking down. First I'd briefly explained about my mom's refusal to listen to me, then Jeremy, then Mark. There were a couple more guys, all bums or losers that did little more than feel me up and kiss me when my mom wasn't home, but I tried to play it down. After the scene earlier, I wasn't sure that Carlisle was above hunting these guys down. He didn't ask any questions, and I didn't chance a look at his face. When I finally finished, I sat in silence for a while, not sure what his reaction would be. I was sure he wouldn't shrug me off like Renee had, but I also wasn't sure if he would blame me for not telling her when it had begun to escalate.

Before I realized what was happening, he was crouching in front of me, making my heart stutter in shock before calming again. His eyes were sad, and his ice-cold hands rested on my knees. "I'm so sorry." He said softly. I bit the inside of my lip, then pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, determined not to cry again tonight. He must have noticed because he stood quickly, then somehow managed to maneuver us so that he was sitting in the chair and I was sitting on his lap, my back resting against his arm in a way that should not have been so comfortable.

'This is what was supposed to happen.' I realized. 'When I first told my mother I was scared, this was how she was supposed to react. Why couldn't she have done this?' I realized suddenly that I was crying, despite my best efforts, and that this day had been filled with too many tears. Still, there was nothing I could do to stop them, and I felt Carlisle pull me closer, my head resting against his shoulder. "Sorry." I managed to choke out, wondering briefly if my tears would ruin his shirt. He smoothed my hair with one hand and rubbed my back with another, leaning back so that I was balanced perfectly against him.

"Shh." He soothed me, his lips pressing a cold kiss to the top of my head. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"She…" I sobbed harshly, against my will, and the words poured out of my mouth. "…thought I was being….selfish." I finally managed. "Said...she deserved to…be happy." Carlisle took a deep breath, his arms tightening around me for a fraction of a second, then easing up again, as if he'd been close to losing control. "She thought…she thought I was…mad that she was dating. She wouldn't listen." I shook my head and burrowed my face into his shoulder, sobbing harder. He let me talk, my words barely coherent even to myself, but I was sure he understood. "I couldn't…couldn't make them stop…kissing me. And touch…" The words were physically painful to say. He must have sensed that, because he began rubbing circles on my back once again, neither demanding nor discouraging. "He….he said that...girls my age…were supposed to…" I couldn't continue with that line of thought, and fell silent, my whimpers and sobs the only noise in the room.

"This was not your fault." His voice was so firm, it took my by surprise, but I didn't move. "You should not have been forced to go through this. Your mother should have…"

"No!" I couldn't bear blaming my mother for this. "She…she didn't know! It was…his fault."

"She should have listened to you." He continued firmly as if I hadn't interrupted. "Of course, the men that did this are at fault as well, but it was her job to protect you, and she didn't."

"But she…my mom…she's…she loves me. But she's…I was the responsible one." I told him quietly, my words coherent once again, thinking about all the times I'd taken care of my mother, lectured her, explained things to her.

"I know you were, Bella. And it was so good of you to take care of your mother when she needed you. But it should not have been you who had to be the responsible one." I closed my eyes with a sign, not wanting to think about that. I had long ago given up on the idea of normal families. The thought made me smile a bit. Here I was, sobbing to my vampire father, who was telling me that my relationships weren't normal.

Once I finally finished crying, he continued to hold me, rocking back and forth slightly like Edward always did, causing my eyes to droop. I wanted to climb out of his lap and let him get back to work, afraid that I was imposing on his free time, but my body refused to cooperate; I was utterly wrung out. Instead, I left my head against his shoulder and shifted my right hand slightly so it wasn't painful. I was perfectly safe, and my body responded by falling asleep.

The loading screen flashed on the large wall-mounted television, the music looping against and again. Jasper and Emmett sat stiffly on the sofa, the game forgotten. They hadn't wanted to eavesdrop on their little sister's private discussion with their father, but their hearing was too good to miss her sobs. Emmett closed his eyes, as if to ward off whatever emotions were threatening him, while Jasper felt them all; Bella's pain and sorrow, Carlisle's anguish, Emmett's helplessness. But soon, Bella's emotions shifted, and she was content. Jasper smiled a little when he felt her exhaustion and then sleep. "She's fine." Emmett glanced up at his brother with a questioning look. "She fell asleep. Carlisle's still with her." He explained softly, the half smile once again on his face.

They heard shifting upstairs, and immediately they were outside of Carlisle's office. He opened the door, emerging with Bella in his arms, and gave them a reproving look. "We couldn't help it." Emmett said contritely. "By the time we realized what she was saying…we would have had to leave…it was too late." He tried to explain himself to his father who only sighed and shook his head.

"Of course. It isn't your fault." Jasper was already waiting at the door to Edward's bedroom and had pushed it open for Carlisle. He felt a wave of fond gratitude and grinned back at his father, sparing a fond look for Bella, happily asleep in the arms of a vampire. Emmett walked in ahead of them and pulled the comforter down, helping Carlisle lay her in the giant bed and tuck her under the covers. Carlisle pressed a kiss against her forehead and stared down at her sadly for a moment. Emmett ruffled her hair gently.

"Night little sis." He mumbled fondly, stepping towards the door and leaving the room. Carlisle followed him, turning to watch as Jasper gave the younger girl a long look. Taking a long, deep breath, Jasper leaned forward and, as gently as he could, pressed a kiss against her temple. Carlisle watched in surprised silence as Jasper hovered for a moment over her face, his mouth closer to her neck than he usually got, save for earlier that evening, then straightened.

"Night, Bella." He said quietly, and then followed the other two out, shutting the door quietly behind him.

I was only half aware of the gentle arms that lay me in the comfortable, if cold, bed, and the icy lips that pressed first against my forehead, then against my temple. Someone touched my hair at some point, and I heard someone say my name, but that was the last thing I was aware of before I heard a familiar voice.

"She's here?"

There was some indistinct speech, and something about a dog. "That dog did what!?" I knew that voice, my brain informed me, but I couldn't think past the knowledge. "Wait…what about…her mother? Emmett! What are…me?" I realized that I could only hear bits and pieces of Edward and Emmett's conversation. After that were a series of hisses I couldn't make out, but someone said something about sleeping.

"Oh….oh my God. Oh poor Bella!" That was Alice, but I had no idea what she was talking about. I rolled over to face the door, as if that would help.

Suddenly Carlisle and Esme where speaking right outside the door, and I realized that Carlisle's office was by Edward's room. "Carlisle, what happened?"

"Jacob Black kissed her." I suddenly remembered what was going on, and felt my face flush. Surely Edward knew now, if he had read Carlisle's thoughts, but why would he be questioning Emmett? How could he know anything? Unless…I realized suddenly that he would have heard everything thanks to super vampire hearing and was overcome by shame. I didn't want anyone else to know about that. No one but Carlisle and Esme…and Edward since he would find out eventually. Pushing the thought aside, I resigned myself to everyone knowing. They were all family, anyway, and Rosalie was the only one who might resent me for it. If I was going to live with these people at some point, I would have to get use to not having any secrets from them. "She punched him in the face and sprained her hand."

"Is she okay?" Esme's voice was gentle and concerned, and I heard her move closer to the door.

"Physically she's fine. I bandaged her hand and later she fell asleep, so I put her to bed…but that's not all. She came into my office and…apparently she was assaulted in the same way…many times over several years, starting when she was thirteen." Esme whispered something, and Carlisle growled softly. "No. They were her boyfriends apparently." I realized that she must have asked something about my mother, and I ached to defend her. However, after my previous attempts to defend Renee, I had little doubt that I would fail again.

"Did they ever…" Esme trailed off, the implication clear in her voice.

"I don't think so." Carlisle spoke carefully, and I realized that theirs was the only conversation I could hear. "She only said that they would kiss her and…" I could hear the agony in his voice, hidden under the fury. "touch her." This time Esme gasped loudly, and I heard the doorknob turn. "Shh." He cautioned her gently. I shut my eyes and forced myself to relax, but she didn't open the door. They mumbled something about the morning and I wondered tiredly what time it was.

Then Edward's voice was closer. "…Emmett, I need to talk…"

"Leave her alone, Edward. She's sleeping." That was Jasper's southern drawl, and I wondered why they wouldn't let him in to see me.

"She could have called…" There was more mumbling. "…and that stupid wolf…" A hiss, followed by "thirteen, Emmett!" I winced; glad I couldn't hear the rest of that conversation.

"Don't you dare make this about you!" I knew that low, angry voice. There was suddenly silence as Esme and Carlisle stopped their mumbled conversation. "She was assaulted by her friend, and she's probably remembering being assaulted by those…monsters." That was Rosalie. "So don't you even think about yelling at her. She doesn't take any blame for this Edward. I mean it!" Rosalie didn't defend me. Ever. In fact, she threw me to the wolves (the pun made me smile involuntarily) as often as possible, complaining about my presence, hinting that I was a danger to their family, and generally making herself scarce around me. So why was she standing up to Edward of all people for me?

There was a long sigh, and I heard Carlisle's soft murmur, followed by Edward's, and then Esme. "Okay, but don't wake her." That was Carlisle again, and I felt another wave of calm lethargy roll over me. Swearing that I was going to scold Jasper later, although realistically I knew I never would get around to it, I let my eyes closed even as I felt another presence in the room. It was hard to fight the exhaustion that was suddenly weighing me down, but I managed until Edward climbed into the bed beside me, keeping himself above the covers so I wouldn't get cold, and scooting closer so that he could wrap his arms around me, my face against his chest. I sighed happily, shifting in his arms and snuggling against him.

"Hey." I whispered.

"Sorry. I didn't want to wake you." He said softly, his voice sad.

"No." I managed to mumble. "You didn't." I inhaled happily, not coherent enough to ask why he was sad. Unable to make out his face in the dark, I brought my hand up and started to touch him, but made an involuntary soft, pained noise when I moved my hand.

"Bella?" He gently grasped my wrist, holding it in one of his hands and allowing his cool skin to ease the pain. "I'm so sorry, Bella." And I knew he wasn't just apologizing about not being with me earlier. I smiled a little, not wanting him to feel bad.

"My fault." I told him simply. I felt him shake his head sharply.

"No! Bella, this was not your fault! You…" I shook my own head, too tired to really make him understand what I was saying, but trying nonetheless.

"Shouldn't have hit him." I murmured.

"Bella, he assaulted you! Of course you…"

I cut him off again with an exasperated sigh. "Hard head. Should have let you do it…think Emmett did." He finally chuckled slightly.

"Yea, he did. Broke his jaw."

"Thanks Emmett." I spoke a little louder, knowing that he would hear me from downstairs. "That's what I was aiming for." He laughed softly as I finally drifted the rest of the way to sleep.

The next time I woke, it was because of the light hitting my closed eyes. Groaning softly, I tried to roll over, but something was holding me…something cold. Opening my eyes, I looked into Edward's concerned face. "Oh!" I smiled happily. "Good morning." He gave me a cautious, sad smile in return.

"Good afternoon." He ran a hand down my back, and then stroked my hair, his thumb running over my cheek as he moved a strand of hair behind my ear. "How are you feeling?" Once again, the painful conversation came back. I'd suffered no more nightmares, since my vampire boyfriend had been close by, but the memories were another matter. Forcing a smile, I shrugged.

"My hand's a bit sore, but I'll be fine. Do you have any Tylenol?"

He obviously wasn't convinced, but didn't press the matter. "I'm sure Carlisle has something stronger for you if you'd like."

"No…it'll probably make me tired again. When did you get back?" I wondered, barely able to remember the conversations from his return.

"Around four in the morning…" He hesitated for a moment. "We finished up earlier than we had expected. I was going to go to your house but I saw your truck when I dropped them off. They weren't going to tell me…" He sighed softly, apparently unable to come up with the words he needed. "Carlisle said…well Emmett was thinking about…"

"Everyone knows." It came out in a plaintive voice, and although I wasn't angry, he hurried to apologize.

"Emmett and Jasper overheard…they couldn't help it." He rushed to defend his brothers. "And Carlisle had to tell Esme…and Alice was there when I learned it from Emmett…" He took an unnecessary breath, but hurried on before I could reassure him that I wasn't mad at any of them. "Alice…she feels terrible."

"She couldn't have seen!" I cried. "Why should she…"

"She feels terrible as your friend." He interrupted, correcting me gently. "She feels terrible that you had to go through all of that alone…we all do." He gave me a halfhearted wry smile. "Even Rosalie, believe it or not."

I remembered Rosalie's burst of temper toward Edward and nodded. I believed it. "She was so excited, you know." I looked up when his words broke into my thoughts, noticing immediately the fondness in his eyes. "Alice." He clarified for me with a smile. "When I made up my mind that I was going to hell regardless…" He chuckled softly. "She saw that the two of you would be friends, and she was so happy. She bugged me every day for weeks. 'Can I talk to Bella yet?'" He imitated her musical voice, and I giggled. "She missed you so much, before she even met you. She considers you her best friend…and she can't believe she wasn't able to help you." Illogical as it was, I could understand. I thought back to Alice's horrible past and knew that if I could go back and help her, I would without hesitation. I resolved to talk to her later.

For a while, we lay in silence, his arms around me, and my right hand aching a little. I shifted so that it was against his body, knowing that his cool skin would help more than anything at the moment. "What time is it?" I asked quietly, staring out the window over his shoulder.

"About one in the afternoon." My eyes widened. I hadn't slept so late in a long time. "Are you still sleepy?" I shook me head. I could probably sleep if I wanted to, but I didn't want to. "Are you hungry?" He pressed. I sighed softly. The thought of going downstairs and facing everyone was even worse than going back to sleep. "Esme has been wanting to make you something since she got back." I had to smile at that. "She's been debating just making you breakfast and bringing it up." He must have seen the wariness in my eyes. "Carlisle is in his study. Rosalie is…in her room with Emmett…you don't want to know." I reddened and shoved the thought away. "Jasper is reading downstairs. Alice…she's sitting with him but she's thinking about you." I signed, finally sitting up.

"Is it okay if I take a shower? Then I'll go downstairs and make something."

"Of course, you go ahead. I'll have Alice give you something to wear. And I'll tell Esme you're up. She's making you something to eat today…you might as well get used to the idea." I smiled a little, glancing down at the bandage on my hand. Gently, he reached out and began to unwind it. "Just be careful. When you're done, I can put it back on for you, okay?" He leaned over when I nodded, pressing his lips against mine for a long moment, then pulling away with a smile.

I entered the bathroom attached to his room and, after shutting the door behind me, I quickly slipped out of my jeans and socks. With a wince, I managed to pull my shirt off, and thought about how to unclasp my bra. Suddenly the door was open. Praying that it wasn't Emmett or Jasper, though I had no idea why they would barge into Edward's bathroom, I froze with my back to the door.

"Sorry Bella! I didn't know you were…" Alice fell silent and I turned my head to look at her curiously, relieved beyond measure. I was still wearing my bra, and didn't really care regardless. She'd helped me shower plenty of times, and I'd gotten over my embarrassment fairly quickly. But she wasn't looking at my bra or my face for that matter. She was staring at my lower back where I suddenly realized there must be a bruise, her eyes unreadable, her jaw clenched so that I feared for her teeth. "Did he…did Jacob do that to you?" Her normally high pitched, pixie voice was suddenly scary, and I mentally marked her off the list of Cullens I hadn't been afraid of. She was the last to go.

"Alice." My voice was softer than normal, as if I was trying to appease an angry animal. "I'm fine." I looked down into her hands and realized she was holding a set of folded clothes, complete with a bra and panties that looked like they came from Victoria Secret, and a bag. "Are you sure you don't mind lending me clothes?" I asked quietly, trying to distract her. She probably saw right through that, but visibly calmed herself.

"Of course not. I've already worn this top twice, and I must have seven pears of jeans just like these." She was forcing herself to smile calmly as she sat the clothes on the bathroom counter. Her movements too quick for me to follow, she turned on the shower and pulled the curtain, then placed the bag on the counter by the clothes, pulling out shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and a few other toiletries. "I thought you might need a toothbrush for when you stayed here…and I had extra shampoo that I bought a few weeks ago and I know all of Edward's stuff smells like man and…"

Alice didn't ramble, I thought with a bit of alarm. Gently, I reached out and grabbed her hand, which was gesturing wildly. Her eyes seemed to shimmer with tears that she could never shed, and before I could speak I was being crushed to her chest, which, due to my lack of clothes, was slightly awkward…and cold, but I didn't complain. "Alice, I'm fine." I assured her quietly. "Perfectly fine. Besides, Emmett and Jasper took care of Jacob." She smiled a little with me, but shook her head.

"I know about the other stuff too." She mumbled guiltily.

"Everyone knows, Alice. It's fine."

"No. It's not fine. You were only thirteen!" She cried. "And Carlisle said that it happened for years." Her butterscotch eyes were tormented.

"My mom met Phil when I was sixteen." I told her softly. "He was…a lot better than her other boyfriends."

"So for four years…" She whispered. I shook my head.

"I'm good at suppressing unpleasant things." I told her with a half smile. "Honestly. I never even think about it. Just…what Jacob did…it made me remember. But I'm fine now." She gave me a skeptical look, but seemed to accept my statement.

"If you need to talk to someone, you know I'll be here, right?" I smiled, hugging her tightly.

"Of course. Thanks." She grinned.

"And if you want me to beat up Jacob for you…"

"I think Emmett took care of that, thanks." I laughed. She shook her head.

"He broke the dog's jaw. I was going to break his face…along with a few other things." I had to grin at the thought of little Alice winning a fight against my well-muscled best…I stopped the thought. He wasn't exactly my friend…not anymore. She must have noticed my sad look, because she placed her hands on my shoulders. "Hey?"

"He was my best friend, Alice." I told her quietly. "I've known him since we were little."

"I know." Her tone was solemn, and she looked at me for a moment before giving me a little smile, squeezing my shoulders. "Come on." She placed a hand on my back and turned me around. "You'd better get in the shower before you freeze to death." She helped me with my bra and turned her head to give me some privacy as I slipped out of my underwear and stepped into the frosted-glass walled shower. "Carlisle was angry with Charlie." She informed me, her voice echoing in the large bathroom. I ducked my head under the water and began to wash it in silence. "I can't remember the last time Carlisle was so angry. Maybe never."

"Should I not have told him?" I asked quietly.

"Of course you should have!" I could hear the exasperation in Alice's voice. "We're your family. That's what we're here for. You could have told any of us and we would have had the same reaction."

Alice helped me dress quickly after my shower and sat on the bed beside me while Edward rewrapped my hand with as much skill as Carlisle. The three of us then walked downstairs at my speed, and they led me over to the kitchen table that they only used for meetings…well before I showed up anyway. Esme sat a plate of food in front of me and I thanked her. She surprised me with a hug and a kiss to my forehead as Alice grabbed me a soda. "It's no trouble, sweetheart." Esme assured me, smoothing my hair once more before sitting down beside Edward at the table as Jasper called out a greeting to me.

I cleared my plate, too hungry to be self conscious, and insisted on cleaning up myself. Esme gave in with a smile, but stood nearby as cleaned my dishes. I laughed when Alice picked up my soda can and gave it an experimental sniff, then shrugged and placed it back on the table, an expression of distaste on her face. Edward rolled his eyes and leaned up against the counter, his shoulder touching mine, while Esme watched the three of us fondly. "Okay, now that we've fed the human, we're going shopping." Alice grinned, grabbing my left hand in one of hers, and Esme's in the other. I knew that I should have expected this. Shopping was Alice's cure all end all.

"Shopping?" Edward spoke dubiously as Rosalie and Emmett appeared at the foot of the stairs. Emmett appeared beside me and threw an arm over my shoulder in greeting, whispering that he didn't think Edward and I would ever emerge from the bedroom, making me blush and stammar, and making him laugh loudly.

"Well obviously you aren't invited." Alice snapped at Edward, her eyes dancing. I choked on a laugh at the startled, offended look on his face, which quickly turned to a rueful smile.

"Good. Because I didn't want to go." He told her childishly, making Emmett chuckle beside me.

"C'mon bro. Let's me, you, and Jasper go have some fun." Jasper glanced up from where he was watching TV and lifted an eyebrow, obviously wondering what kind of fun Emmett had in mind. Edward looked at Emmett for a minute, and then smiled in agreement.

"Alright. We should be back in plenty of time."

I guessed that the only reason no one had actually asked if I wanted to go shopping was that Alice had already made up her mind. Besides, a day with Alice and Esme sounded like fun. Well…it did until Rosalie kissed Emmett goodbye (so passionately that I stared at the floor, my face so red it felt like it was glowing) and announced that we could take her BMW.

"No way! I wanna drive my Porsche!" Alice argued. Esme linked her arm through mine and led me to the door, pausing to let me kiss Edward goodbye.

The shopping trip was apparently only for me, and Alice and Esme spent the majority of the afternoon finding outfits for me to try on while Rosalie hung back, watching me closely. Neither Alice nor Esme commented on her lack of involvement, but seemed to be trying to make up for it by throwing more outfits at me. I suspected that they were actually buying all of the clothes they approved, but I didn't have the heart to tell them no. I hadn't spent any real time with Esme in a long time, and it seemed to make her happy to spend time with her daughters, so I didn't complain. Actually, I eventually found that it was fun spending time with them, even if I had to go shopping to do so.

However, my patience has its limits, and I finally begged Alice to buy herself some clothes and let me rest. Esme and Alice seemed reluctant until Rosalie stepped forward. "You guys go ahead and shop, and Bella and I will hit the food court." She reached over and picked up a few bags, leaving a few for me, and, stunned as I was at her volunteering to spend time with me, I would take what I could get. She led the way confidently, and I wondered how many times she had dragged Emmett to the mall and made him carry her bags around. The thought of Emmett the pack mule made me giggle, and she turned to me in surprise. When I didn't volunteer anything, she turned her attention back to navigating the crowds and led me to the large cafeteria surrounded by restaurants, placing the bags on the ground. "What do you want to eat?"

I was surprised that her voice was flawlessly polite, and that she truly didn't seem irritated….or angry…or any of the other emotions she usually felt around me. "Um…I can get it." I looked around and headed for a Chinese place before a cold hand caught my right arm. Surprised, I turned around and she let go immediately, staring at the bandage wrapped around my wrist and hand.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't…" I cut her off by lifting my hand and laughing.

"Rosalie, it's fine. It doesn't even really hurt anymore."

"Oh. Um…here." She held out a black piece of plastic that I immediately recognized as a high-end credit card.

"Does Carlisle just hand these out? I swear everyone in your family has one!" I cried in amusement before I remembered whom I was talking to. To my surprise, she smirked as she pressed it into my hand.

"Well, sort of. Everyone in our family gets their own line of credit whenever we move. Of course, Carlisle prefers that we don't go to overboard…but that never stops Alice. Then again, it's kind of thanks to her that our money does so well in the stock market." I couldn't help but grin back at her. "Well, go on. Get your food, human." I laughed softly, nodding and going over to the Chinese place.

I brought the container back to the table where Rosalie waited, messing with her phone. She glanced up in greeting, and then went back to texting as I sat down. "The guys are playing football, and they apparently dragged Carlisle into their game." She informed me with a half smile, and I looked behind me as subtly as possible, wondering if one of her girlfriends that I didn't know about had come up behind me. "Edward says I'm not to let you out of my sight for a minute." Her eyes were strangely friendly, and once again I stared at her for a moment in silence before opening my container of food and breaking apart my chopsticks.

"Rosalie…" I began warily. She looked up from her phone where I assumed she was texting Emmett. "Is this the part where you kill me?" I blurted, then clamped my mouth shut, unable to believe that I'd let those words out of my mouth. To my relief, she barked a laugh.

"Well, I think Edward would hunt me down if I did, and Emmett kind of likes his brother, and you for that matter, so I'm not sure whose side he would take. Besides, Alice loves you, so she and Jasper would certainly join the hunt." She was still smiling, so I assumed that she wasn't offended. "This wouldn't exactly be the place to do it, regardless."

"I…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No. I'm sorry." I stared up at her in surprise.

"What?"

"I…I'm sorry about what happened…and I'm sorry that I've been a b*tch." She sighed and crossed her arms. "I know that…"

"Rosalie." I held up my hand. "You don't have to apologize to me. I understand completely. You're looking out for your family." She shook her head.

"You're a part of my family now." She said softly.

I took a deep breath, debating my next questions. But in the end, I had to know. "Then…why do you hate me?" Rosalie sighed, looking down at her phone that was now on the table.

"I don't hate you Bella. I…I envy you."  
"What? Rosalie…you're the most beautiful person on the planet." She laughed, flashing her perfect white teeth.

"Thank you Bella." Her voice was sincere, but I could tell that I'd appeased her vanity as well. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms, leaning toward me. "You're making the wrong choice." She told me sadly.

"What?" I stared at her in confusion.

"I would give anything to be human again, Bella." She whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I glanced around nonetheless. And then she told me her story.

Alice and Esme arrived just as I finished eating and Rosalie finished talking. I hadn't had much of a chance to react, other than to offer a horrified apology, and this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have in front of our sister and mother. I paused for a moment 'Our' sister and mother? I pondered the thought as I smiled at Alice, jokingly offering her some Chinese food that she turned down with a dramatic shudder, making Rosalie laugh, a sound I wasn't sure I'd heard before. Well, despite the fact that she disagreed with me decisions, she apparently accepted me as a part of her family. That was good enough for the moment.

Esme and Alice grabbed most of the shopping bags, of which there were many, and loaded them into the car. Surprisingly enough, it was Rosalie who insisted that I not hurt myself by grabbing the remaining bags, joking that, danger magnet that I was, I would probably sprain my other wrist. It was nearly six when we all pulled into the Cullen driveway, and all of our mates appeared by the car as we emerged. Edward held out his hand and gently helped me out of the car, kissing me instantly. "I thought I was going to have to come looking for you." He murmured. "I wasn't sure she was going to bring you back." I laughed. "Did you have fun?" I grimaced, but Alice and Esme were probably listening, and I couldn't bear to complain.

"Yea. We…did a lot of shopping. A lot. I feel like a Barbie doll." He chuckled. "And I'm pretty sure ninety percent of those bags are mine." His arms, at first loosely wrapped around my waist, dropped and he went to the back of the car as Alice, with Jasper close by, popped the trunk. He reached in and grabbed most of the bags, while Emmett followed closely behind to grab the rest. All of the bags were dropped into Edward's room and Alice danced away to be with Jasper, promising that she would help me put them away later. Before I could sit down, there was a knock at the door.

"Can I come in?" We looked up and found Carlisle in the doorway. I sat on the bed and Edward placed the CD in his hand back on the shelf.

"Of course." Carlisle shut the door behind him, although we all knew that it was more for the illusion of privacy than anything else.

"I heard you got roped into playing football." He chuckled and nodded, crossing his arms. "Who won?"

"I'm not really sure, to be honest." He looked over at Edward pointedly. "Once Emmett and Edward started brawling, we gave up keeping score." I laughed aloud, and Edward gave a sheepish grin.

Once I'd finished laughing, and Edward had finished trying to look apologetic, Carlisle sat down on the bed in front of me. "Bella…I need to speak with you." He said seriously. Edward stared at him, first in surprise, then in understanding.

"Do you think I should wait outside?" He asked quietly. Carlisle continued to look at me.

"That's up to you Bella. I wanted to talk about your…situation with your father."

For a moment, I debated internally. Did I want Edward here for this conversation? I bit my top lip, not sure what to say. "I'll wait downstairs." Edward said suddenly, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. "Just call me if you need me, okay?" I nodded, grateful for his understanding, and shifted so that I was sitting against the headboard.

"Bella, yesterday, when I spoke to your father, I promised him that we would inform him if you decided not to go home. I also informed him that if you decided not to go home…that you would be always have a home here, if that was what you wanted. Of course, if you want to go back with your mother…"

"No!" I closed my eyes, not able to bear the thought of leaving Edward behind. "I…Edward…I need to be with him." My tone was beseeching, my eyes full.

"Bella, of course Edward would go with you, if you asked."

"But…my mother lives in Florida." I whispered. "There's no way…he'd have to live inside all the time."

"He would do it for you. And it would only be for a little while…or as long as you wanted." I was still shaking my head, and he smiled a little. "As I said, that's just one of your options. If you want to go back and live with Charlie, one of us will drive you as soon as you're ready to go. And…Emmett and Jasper will probably be keeping an eye on him, as well as the wolf. I would advise you not to spend any more time with Jacob Black alone, Bella." He spoke gently, as if afraid he would upset me.

"I…I don't want to go home…not right now." I stared at the bed, unable to believe that I was asking this of him, that I was asking him to practically let me move in. A cool hand gripped my chin and firmly pulled my head up so that I was looking at him.

"Then you are more than welcome to stay here. For as long as you like." His eyes were too kind, too sincere to question, and I found myself with my arms around his neck, squeezing tightly, without any conscious thought. Once again, his arms were around me, rubbing my back soothingly.

"Thank you." I mumbled into his ear.

"Bella." His voice was gentle. "You'll always have a home here. No matter what. Even if you decide to go back to Charlie's, you're welcome here any time. No need to thank me." I nodded against his shoulder, wiping at my eyes quickly. He leaned back, his hands on my shoulders. "I'll call your father, okay? Or would you rather?"

"Could you?" I whispered, only a little ashamed at my own cowardice. He smiled, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Of course." With that, he was gone, back in his office, and Edward was sitting in front of me, appearing out of thin air and making me jump. Before I could question his joyous expression, his arms were around me, his lips on mine.

"You're staying!" He cried when he finally pulled away, then kissed me again. I had to laugh at his enthusiasm, although staying in the same house as him sounded wonderful to me as well.

"Yes…at least for a little while." His eyes softened, letting me know that he hadn't forgotten what had brought me to his house in the first place.

"If…if you want to talk about it, then…I mean, Alice already offered, I know, but I'm here for you as well. All of us are. So…just talk to someone, if you need to." He finished his statement clumsily, but I smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"I'm okay." I assured him. He looked at me like he didn't quite believe me, but nodded, accepting my statement for the moment. I knew that eventually I would want to talk to him about it, even if he'd already gotten the gist from Carlisle's thoughts, but for now, we were both content to relax (and kiss of course) after a long day of shopping and football…until the door was thrown open unceremoniously, causing me to jerk away from him in embarrassment.

"Bella! You're staying!" Alice launched herself at the bed, shoving Edward aside and throwing her arms around me. I stared over her shoulder at a shirtless Jasper who looked both frustrated and apologetic. "We have to start right now!" She jerked me up by the arm, somehow managing not to hurt me with the abrupt gesture, and drug me to the closet, throwing it open and grabbing Edwards clothes.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" He cried, watching as she threw a few of his shirts on the floor.

"We have to start on Bella's closet!"


End file.
